I'm Scott'sdad (smiley). If you are closer to the west, look at TTs like those produced by Northwood: Arctic Fox, Nash, etc. they build their own frames and put shocks on. Heavier units, but they do last. Our AF is a battleship and I'd feel confident taking it off-road if I did that kind of camping. Sometimes a well-cared for Nash is better at 10 years than a new lightweight.

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smiley,
That's good information. I have heard that the Fox trailers are built like tanks. When we were looking at TT's back on 2010 I was very green. I didn't realize that most TT's did not have shocks, self-adjusting brakes and almost always drum brakes. They used plastic bushings and seldom wet bolts on the spring shackles. We wore out the plastic bushings in one 2,000 mile trip to FL. I know because when we got back I removed the springs and replaced all the bolts with (Wet) or greasable shackle bolts.

What's scary is that if you had said nothing, it would most likely would have never been addressed. We just bought our first TT, and the more I dig into it, the more I think it must have been built in Taiwan. If I knew more about electrical systems, I'd build my own. Ours was only a year old when we bought it, and every single bolt around the outter edge of the frame connecting the subframe paneling was hand loose. I had to tighten up everything. There were also several screws missing from the front diamond plate rock guard up front. Not to mention half of the scews for the table were stripped out, and the kitchen faucet was already leaking, and the caulk in the bathroom was already splitting apart. I've put countless hours in fixing and reinforcing a lot of things in the trailer simply because I don't want something that's going to fall apart in a few years.

The worst part of it...the outfit we bought it from (CW), said they would go through everything and make sure it was sound, nothing was broken, and everything was in good working order. Lies, lies, and more lies. Upon getting it home, the water heater wouldn't light, the propane unit for the fridge wouldn't light, the faucet was not fixed, and a few other small things. If I had to do it over again, I'd take 3x the amount of time I did initially to inspect the TT and make them put in writing that all systems would be checked and fixed if needed. Really disapointed! I actually fixed everything myself as I don't really trust them any longer to do what I ask. Needless to say the Pres. of the company will be getting a letter.

When buying a travel trailer, it's definitely "buyer beware". We just bought a brand new travel trailer after months and months of searching used TT's. The problem with used TT's is well, they're used, and second, just like a car, you have no idea how it was treated. It seems everybody who sells a used TT claims it was "barely used".

Even though we bought a brand new TT (from La Mesa RV in Albuquerque) we have a few issues we are hoping they will take care of. Had we purchased used, we'd be stuck figuring out or paying through the nose to get the issues figured out. I'm sure there are folks out there who have bought used and had no problem at all. For a newbie like me who doesn't know anything about TT's, I like the fact that I can holler at the dealer and get them to stand behind what they sold me.

just bought a 2014 Kodiak.......have a list of over 30 items of defects and warranty issues.....eeekkk......very poor quality of workmanship and products......love the layout....very poorly made....everything from table to doors to screens...bla bla bla...would go with the warranty......who knows why they are selling so soon

If you own a TT sooner or later you will become a handyman do it yourself expert on many things. I leave items beyond my abilities that pertain to safety to the experts.
The "Shake-Rattle-n-Roll" of a travel Trailer's life contributes to much of the problem. After every camping trip I end up fixing something. After my last trip I noticed greese leaking from one of the wheel hubs. That repair I'll leave to an expert as I have never attempted to replace a greese seal and/or repack wheel bearings.

If the RV manufacturers built these things to last they just might be too heavy to tow.

the best line I've heard is there are 500,000 parts in a RV and only 95% work at any given time. They all have problems, new and used, but I agree the manufacturers need to take a lesson from the automotive industry and up their game. The original post asked new or used for first TT. I would recommend used for the first 3 or 4 RV until you really know what you want. If you shop well and take your time, you should break even or possibly make money. You have to take what is available for the price, and you will do some repairs and mods. That's part of the fun. Takes a lot of time to figure out what you really want/need, Have fun and happy camping.

Great input from everyone! I ended up buying used. So far, no major issues, other than the dealer leaving a bad battery in the unit, and not setting up the load equalizing hitch correctly.
I have taken a couple of 3 and 4 day trips. Tomorrow, we embark on a three week cross country journey, combining work and play. I'm hoping for no problems, now that the hitch is correct.
I re-lubed the wheel bearings, etc. All appliances work ok. Biggest gripe is the pour water pressure, weather on city or the pump. In fact, pump seems better.

Trying to find a remote for the jensen media unit. I'll probably order and drop ship to the RV park in Buffalo.

If you are trying to determine the best value/price for your new RV purchase I would suggest a broad internet search. Include Craig's list and brand name specific details in your search....also look at used prices...often buyers decide to go larger shortly after making a purchase and you can locate almost new units at big savings.
I have never bought a new unit, mostly because there are so many slightly used units out there at huge savings. Take your time and search, search, search before you spend your money. The quest will educate you as to prices for both new and nearly new units both from dealers and private sales. Your best value will come from a private sale but it takes time to search those out. Good luck...happy searching and happy camping.